Hearth plate



May 8, 1945. E. A. LANCASTER, .JR 2,375,743

HEARTH PLATE May 8, 1945.

E. A. LANCASTER. JR 2,375,743

- HARTH PLATE Filed March 17, -1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 .Mmmm

l MMm/ L therein,

elements.

l Patented May `8, 1945 "Application March 17, 1941, SeralNo; 383,855

. 2 Claims. 'I'hisinvention relates generally to kilns fired by automatic stokers of the-under feed" type and employed in the burning of clay `products for the manufactureofbrick, 'tile and the like, and has particular reference to certain improvements adapted `for facilitating kiln-placement of the burner unit of a portable stoker. s

Brick plants usually are equipped `with batteries of kilns varying in number between twelve` and thirty. Round,` beehive type,` downdraft kilns including `an irnprovedwhearth" plate with from ten to twelve radially Adisposed `re boxes are commonlyjemployed; `and for some time past izhas beenthepracticeV to iirelthe kilns with coal supplied from automatic stokers thatare detachably and interchangeably u "engageable with built-in retortburners permanently installed in the kiln structure ateach rebox. As the time `required to 4cool "off, unload and reload a kiln `is about equal tothat required in burning, seldom more thanhalf thekilns in a plant are burned at onetime, and aftereach ring periodthe stokers from the'burnedkilns are disconnected and moved to the kilns next prepared for burning,

` where they are connected tothe respective rebox burners.' u `the services of several men are required to dis- The stokersmare cumbersome, and

connect, shift,v and reconnect each unit; all of which is time consuming, expensive, and 'the c cause of undesirable wear `on the connecting An object of thisinvention is to provide, in association with a rebox, a novel hearth structure arranged to receive and position an underfeed burner that is a lpermanent part of an automatic,

able with any of a` number of similar iirebox 35. portable Stoker which is interchangeably engage-` hearths whereby automatic stokers with attached retort burners maybe easily and quickly exchanged from one rebox to another as needed.`

Another object is to provide, ina kiln organization including anunderfeed rebox and a hearth apertured to receive therethrough a portable `Stoker-attached retort burner which is interchangeably engageable therewith, burner-carried closure means cooperative with the burner for hearth engagement to'close the hearth aperture when the burner is in service position.v i s i Other objects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. They include thefprovision of means for transporting, levelling, and adjusting the interchangeable stokers relative to the hearths with which they are to be engaged. In the drawings: u Figure 1 is substantially a vertical section with an opening (cinch-1r. i 4 throngha'L kiln nrbos and neartnjsnowirlg fa stoker as Wheeled into position` preparatory. toits serviceengagement with the hearth.`

Figure 2 isa horizontal section taken Lon" the hearth` plate.

In `its uisciosedjenibodiment, the` invention is `shown as applied to a brick kiln 8 oli any suitable., well-known-form, having in fits wall structure S a` radially arranged series'of conventional bag vvallsllll;` which provide reboxes `II entirely around the kiln. Forpresentpurpose, only one bag 'wall I0 and its rebox I I are` indicated in Figures `12 `and 3; theremainder being omitted from any" view herein to avoid repetition of identical detail.. The iireboxis `accessible for cleaning purposes through a passageway` I2 pro-V vided through the "wall 9 in the usualmanner `of kiln construction. s The bottom of each firebox consists of a iiat hearth plate` I3 of cast iron or other suitablelmaterial built in the masonry and foundation ofthe kilnwalland extending thefull width of the rebox from substantially its rear wall to the exterior face ofthe kiln wall 9. The plate provides a roof over a stoker receiving passage I4 formed through the base of the wall 9 and opening at itsinner end to a complemental chamber Ida directly beneath the rebox. The oor of the passage andchamber is substantially coin cident with the kiln ground level I5. s

At its inner end the hearth plate I3 is formed with an integral, `downwardly directedl vertical wall portion I6 that denes the inner end of the `chamberl I 4a and which is `centrally bowed rearwardly to provide a Isubstantially semicircular socket recess Il. The plate is further provided I8 therethrough in registry with extending somewhat forwardly thereof, leaving a narrow marginalange I9 at the top of the socket recess. nes of the flrebox the hearth plate `is `oored Witha refractory covering 20 except over the area of the opening I8. s

If desired, the rebox hearth may be con-` structed entirely of refractory material over the the socket and is so dimensioned that it permits ready insertion `Within the conand free bodily movement of a retort burner assembly 2| therein. The burner 'is an attached unit of an automatic stoker comprising the burner, a transmission section 22, and a fuel hopper portion 23, all of known construction. The

burner includes a tuyre 24 in and on which coalA by means of the hand whee1l30 to elevate the burner to its service position as shown best in l l.' base of the tuyre, which engages against the ground bearing wheels 26 which provide a Wheeled support by which the stoker may with facility be moved from one rebox to another. Also, the burner assembly 2| carries a swivel caster 21' having a jack screw pintle 28 that is a component element of a conventional screw jack assembly, designated generally by the numeral 29, which is operated from a remote controlhand wheel 30 located adjacent the hopper on the end of an operating shaft 3l mounted on the transmission section 22. The hopper section assembly, furthermore, has appropriately secured thereto a bracket member 32 having a horizontal flange 33 through which, at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the stoker, ground engageable jack screws 34 are threaded forvertical adjustment in levelling the stoker.`

When a kiln is to be red, the requisite number of stokers are Wheeled into position in front of their respective reboxes and advanced to move their burners into and through the passages I4 beneath the hearths I3 until they seat within the sockets Il, at which point, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tuyre 24 of each Stoker will be disposed in vertical alignment with its hearth opening i8 which, it will be understood, is 'of requisite shape and size to conform to the tuyre whatever be itsy particular configuration, and which has sufficient clearance relative to the tuyre to permit its ready unharnpered vertical movement in and through the opening.

In the interests of plant economy the wheels 2B are removed for use on other stokers, although such removal is not essential, and the Stoker is anchored and levelled to ground irregularity by appropriate adjustment of the ground bearing screws 34. The caster jack 29 is then operated under face of the hearth plate and its flange I9 to effect complete closure of the hearth aperture and prevent burning coals and ashes from dropping down into the chamber l4a. The closure means serves also as a stop means limiting the extent of elevation of the burner relative to the' hearth.

When burning is completed, the caster jack is manipulated to lower the burner beneath the hearthy the wheels 2 6 are mounted, and the entire assembly of stoker and burner may then be withdrawn from its firebox and trundled to the rebox where it is next to be used.

Iclaim:

l, A hearth plate for the purpose described,v

and, a burner-guidel member formed .integrally with said plate and depending therefrom in the zone of said opening, said member being formed to provide a substantially semi-circular wall defining a burner-positioning socket having its axis coincident with the axis of said burner-receiving opening', for centering a burner with respect to the plate opening. 4

E. A. LANCASTER, JR. 

